Guardians Promote No. 1 Pick Bazzana to Majors

Cleveland Guardians top prospect Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft, will join the major league roster Tuesday and could make his debut that night against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field, according to a person familiar with the move who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as the team had not announced it.

The 23-year-old Australian second baseman has impressed in Triple-A Columbus with a .287 batting average, two home runs, 10 RBIs, 11 doubles and two triples over 24 games. He has drawn walks at a 17.9 percent clip while striking out at a 21.4 percent rate, showcasing the plate discipline that defined his college career at Oregon State.

Bazzana's promotion addresses instability at second base since Gabriel Arias landed on the injured list April 7 with a strained left hamstring. The Guardians recalled Juan Brito from Columbus to fill the spot, but the 24-year-old has struggled with a .176 average, 17 strikeouts in 51 at-bats and four errors over 123 1/3 innings. Team sources told The Athletic that Bazzana will take over as the everyday second baseman, with Brito expected to return to Triple-A.